Aija sat at a table in the crew galley eating one of the quick preparation meals kept frozen in the cold locker. Jael watched him curiously from across the room. He had a question burning in his mind that only the prophet might be able to answer, but how to approach him, he wasn't sure. Directly was the only way he had ever done anything and prophet or no, he needed some answers.
He got up from his seat and carried his meal over to Aija's table and sat down in front of the prophet.
"You wish to ask me something, Jael?" Aija asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Well then, don't hold back. I'll do my best to answer."
He took a half second to consider a polite way to address it, but couldn't think of any. "Why did Elithias destroy the Horva?"
Aija stopped chewing the food in his mouth and looked up at the soldier with a slightly puzzled look on his face. "He didn't destroy your people. You're still here aren't you?"
It was too matter-of-fact for him to hear. "What I mean is," he struggled with the words a moment. "Our families, all but the four of us were killed. Why did Elithias let that happen? We were created as slaves to the Vorn military-all we wanted was our freedom."
"Elithias has created beings with free will, but it was not His will for them to rebel, and yet he did not stop them. Both Mithri and man alike rebelled against the Creator. If the Eternal One had prevented it by overpowering our free will, then, would we not say our right to choose was impinged upon-our freedom removed completely? And if Elithias allows us to make those choices and we rebel, then we wonder why he didn't prevent it."
"I know, but still-"
"Jael, the Fallen One started this war among men, against the will of Elithias, but still the He has directed the events in such a way that his purposes will ultimately be accomplished. He is turning what was meant for evil into our good."
"But how? How is that going to be good?"
"The Logostus prophesies of a clan that is removed for its great rebellion and that would be the Baruk. But when the prophecies tell us of the kingdom to come, they include among the clans, the Artemae to take the place of the Baruk."
Now, Jael was really confused. "Who are the Artemae?"
"The word means: taken out of us for bondage. It is the Horva alone who are the fulfillment of this prophecy," Aija said. "The Eternal One has left you a remnant to begin again. Your people will ultimately be accepted and free forever in the kingdom of Elithias."
Hope rose in Jael's eyes now. In the midst of all the talk of judgment, mercy still prevailed in Elithias' plan for them.
"In fact, my friend," Aija continued, "it is only the remnant of any of the clans that will survive this war."
He was right. While concentrating on his own people's destruction, Jael had not really considered that the other clans faced similar circumstances. Only three Barudii remained now and even Aija's Guniran clan would be a smaller remnant after the attack they had just witnessed back on Kosiva.
The Horva soldier drummed his fingers across the table as he sat back in his seat. His eyes were moist, but a smile abided on his face. Jael picked up his food tray and placed it in the waste container. He turned to look again at the prophet.
"Thank you, Aija," he whispered, and then he grabbed his rifle from the other table and went to the bridge.